Scottish ploughing championships

[Howard150]

View attachment 739384 Prefer this one, ground furr could possibly be a bit bigger but not much wrong with it.

Difficult to get an idea of straightness on undulating ground. Anything other than arrow straight will usually look bent. Whilst the middle ground of the view may well be ok, the bit running back to the first tram line and beyond definitely runs off to the right.
Definitely agree that the Earth furrow cold do to be a tad bigger and just run a bit further up the opening furrow on the left of the view. Little trick in that pushing the mouldboard ou will have the right effect without going deeper.

 

[Tonym]

One I did earlier. Can't understand why I only got 14 for it. Lol

Keep up the practice Rob you are getting better all the time. I think you lost at least 5 points for what looks like a wheel mark on the second left hand bend.
Perhaps Howard can confirm this or Harry can offer some advise.

 

[Ley253]

Where has this emphasis on the earth furrow come from? Technically, you dont have to have one, the early rear furrow only split is still acceptable. When I started, all splits were done that way, I was one of the first to try rear /front method, no one had seen it then, and points were hard to come by! Once again, judges are working to a different standard than ploughmen.
Its is getting back to the early days, when you needed to visit the judges farm to see how he ploughed his land before you could hope to do well in any match he was judging in!
Cotswold and Hereford judges may as well have been from different planets, and Somerset ones neatly filled the middle ground!
Even the type of plough you used was judged, if unofficially! Turn up with anything other than a motrack in Hereford, and you were wasting your time! In Somerset, the RSLD/RSLM reigned supreme, especially if fitted with RND bodies.
Many on here want to do away with the "general appearance" aspect, but are using exactly that in forming their opinions!Judging needs to concentrate on technical merit, not artistic impression! The earth furrow, in the split does nothing to improve the ploughing, and can detract from it, causing a high start. The requirement that all roots should be severed,is met by the two major furrows, if any thing other than earth is left in the middle, the fault lies in them.

 

[MrNoo]

Trouble being that you never score well with a "rear only" split, very common with some people in the Fergie Class but they just dont get the points, no matter how straight/clean and tidy they look!! Although at a few matches, we do get told we have to do them and they are scored reasonably well.
I think the nicest split I have seen all season was Mr Stokes's at Morville this year, even the judge said to me he very rarely ever awards such high marks, I dont know what it scored but it looked very nice indeed.

 

[Ley253]

Trouble being that you never score well with a "rear only" split, very common with some people in the Fergie Class but they just dont get the points, no matter how straight/clean and tidy they look!! Although at a few matches, we do get told we have to do them and they are scored reasonably well.
I think the nicest split I have seen all season was Mr Stokes's at Morville this year, even the judge said to me he very rarely ever awards such high marks, I dont know what it scored but it looked very nice indeed.

Quite Chris. Once again, its down to judges allowing personal preferences to become part of the job.What they like to see, weather its good, or not, gets the points. One Somerset judge asked me what I had done, when I did a grassland split at Mendip a few years ago, he didnt know that there was a different method used on grass! He was judging at the national this year!
Going back to the earth furrow, as it really does nothing to improve the ploughing, it becomes a waste of fuel and anything more than that required to support the plough on the second run should therefore be considered a fault!

 

[Fergie Ploughman]

First of all, where in the description straight, clean, and well cut, is the requirements for a large , or indeed any sized earth furrow hidden. Remember, the earth furrow is only there because the plough needs support when the front body is in work, an opening done with the rear both ways can be just as good technically as the rear/ front version.Tail fins are "horses for courses" at a judges seminar two years ago, I was one of the clockwork mice, and was marked down for not using fins! here are the three opening splits done then, I prefer the second one, but the judges certainly did not, it scored 11!

Just never understand why you push perfectly neat furrows down with tailpieces, leaving rub marks on the top, it’s disturbed the turned soil and makes it look worse. As for the rear furrow, IMO I think it just looks neater with a stronger rear furrow. Doesnt well cut mean nicely chopped out, so do you not want to see a bit of meat in the rear?? Beauty of course is in the eye of the beholder....

 

[Fergie Ploughman]

Quite Chris. Once again, its down to judges allowing personal preferences to become part of the job.What they like to see, weather its good, or not, gets the points. One Somerset judge asked me what I had done, when I did a grassland split at Mendip a few years ago, he didnt know that there was a different method used on grass! He was judging at the national this year!
Going back to the earth furrow, as it really does nothing to improve the ploughing, it becomes a waste of fuel and anything more than that required to support the plough on the second run should therefore be considered a fault!

I think you’ll be on your own your view on the rear furrow...

 

[Petetheploughman]

Don’t get many flat fields up here for matches so he has had plenty practice, plus he is a reasonably good ploughman as well! Not saying that opening was perfect more I prefer one that hasn’t been manipulated with tail-pieces! Also the above was done with nothing more than yl 183’s

Doesn't Stuart have two ploughs? I can't remember what it is now is it another TS 86? Or is it a Robin with EPICS or FRDCP's on? I have a feeling it is a Robin on EPICS if my memory is right or they could be FRDCP's. It was a few years ago now.

 

[Ley253]

I think you’ll be on your own your view on the rear furrow...

All the "cutting out" is done by the front on that run, anything other than clean soil in the rear is a fault. As said, the only reason for that rippling to exist is the requirement for some support for the plough on that run.The less in the bottom, the lower and therefore better the start will be.Neither the depth, or furrow sizes are specified, indeed the rule book goes as far as to state that "The opening may be deep or shallow, and there is no requirement for the furrows to be the same." This was stated by KC at the first judges seminar, held at Boston park farm,His actual words were" The furrows dont have to be the same, but you will get more points if they are!" Sadly, the Judges briefing from Denmarks world match seems to have been removed, so I cant suggest you take a look.
Furrows are "trimmed" with the fins to help keep the start down, whilst keeping sufficient soil in the front furrows to prevent regrowth. Thus improving the work, so should not be penalised.
Regarding my being alone, this is my argument. Match ploughing is the top strata of the primary cultivation. Therefore, it should embody all aspects, and efficient use of energy is one, an example is the movement to broken furrows from whole work. Moving soil for no purpose is inefficient, so making the steadying furrow larger than required to carry out its task(supporting the plough) should be considered a fault.
Thats a technical look at the job, no "artistic impression"!

 

[wuddy]

Doesn't Stuart have two ploughs? I can't remember what it is now is it another TS 86? Or is it a Robin with EPICS or FRDCP's on? I have a feeling it is a Robin on EPICS if my memory is right or they could be FRDCP's. It was a few years ago now.

it’s a robin with epic frogs and idcp7 boards I have the same set up on a 59 that is what I started ploughing with!

 

[Petetheploughman]

it’s a robin with epic frogs and idcp7 boards I have the same set up on a 59 that is what I started ploughing with!

He's a very good ploughman doing such a good job with two different ploughs!

 

[wuddy]

He's a very good ploughman doing such a good job with two different ploughs!

Don’t know if he slipping a bit or if others are getting better but he isn’t getting it all his own way locally this year as he has done for the last few years! I will put my tin hat on here but the epics are one of the easiest things to plough with!

 

[Mydexta]

Don’t know if he slipping a bit or if others are getting better but he isn’t getting it all his own way locally this year as he has done for the last few years! I will put my tin hat on here but the epics are one of the easiest things to plough with!

Could it possibly be that the dry conditions we are encountering just now don’t suit the rwms as well as tcns etc etc?????


Can’t beleive how dry the ground is for mid November.

 

[Howard150]

Don’t know if he slipping a bit or if others are getting better but he isn’t getting it all his own way locally this year as he has done for the last few years! I will put my tin hat on here but the epics are one of the easiest things to plough with!

Started with Epics myself. Middle work no bother whatever. Set pieces which are the problem as both types of Epic are far far too far away from the floor at the back of the board.

Could it possibly be that the dry conditions we are encountering just now don’t suit the rwms as well as tcns etc etc?????


Can’t beleive how dry the ground is for mid November.

Having studied the Classic class this year, then a good few are struggling with RWM’s. To my mind its a simple issue of what works in good conditions might well not work where its hard and dry. Seen a lot of headscratching going on, a lot of bent ploughing, all of which could easily have been prevented with a little bit of good housekeeping. RWM’s will not run once the lead to land is gone. They will however, when running right, compete on terms with TCN”s whatever the ground conditions.

 

[Fergie Ploughman]

All the "cutting out" is done by the front on that run, anything other than clean soil in the rear is a fault. As said, the only reason for that rippling to exist is the requirement for some support for the plough on that run.The less in the bottom, the lower and therefore better the start will be.Neither the depth, or furrow sizes are specified, indeed the rule book goes as far as to state that "The opening may be deep or shallow, and there is no requirement for the furrows to be the same." This was stated by KC at the first judges seminar, held at Boston park farm,His actual words were" The furrows dont have to be the same, but you will get more points if they are!" Sadly, the Judges briefing from Denmarks world match seems to have been removed, so I cant suggest you take a look.
Furrows are "trimmed" with the fins to help keep the start down, whilst keeping sufficient soil in the front furrows to prevent regrowth. Thus improving the work, so should not be penalised.
Regarding my being alone, this is my argument. Match ploughing is the top strata of the primary cultivation. Therefore, it should embody all aspects, and efficient use of energy is one, an example is the movement to broken furrows from whole work. Moving soil for no purpose is inefficient, so making the steadying furrow larger than required to carry out its task(supporting the plough) should be considered a fault.
Thats a technical look at the job, no "artistic impression"!

The only thing I’d say re depth is that IMO it should be at ploughing depth, otherwise the ground is not really ploughed through. I’m not a fan of shallow splits. Rightly or wrongly I was taught to get the three furrows to match as best as possible....also looks nice as well !

 

[Ley253]

The only thing I’d say re depth is that IMO it should be at ploughing depth, otherwise the ground is not really ploughed through. I’m not a fan of shallow splits. Rightly or wrongly I was taught to get the three furrows to match as best as possible....also looks nice as well !

If you split at ploughing depth, when the crown is laid over it the effect it to make it deeper! However, as there is no real need to do one( it was brought in to make life harder for competitors, it was not done when ploughs were hay powered)
It does have some justification in avoiding a hard callous under every crown, but the shallow wheel mark on the finis puts one in as people plough shallow where the wheel will run, pushing the board out to hide this!

 

[wuddy]

Started with Epics myself. Middle work no bother whatever. Set pieces which are the problem as both types of Epic are far far too far away from the floor at the back of the board.

Openings and finishes I would agree with although got around this with a shaped piece welded onto the share running about half the length of the board but you just don’t get that pressed shine to the back of the furr you do with yl,tcn’s,rwm’s etc! I am getting there now with putting the crown together with yl’s but much prefer putting one together with the epics.

 

[Ley253]

Openings and finishes I would agree with although got around this with a shaped piece welded onto the share running about half the length of the board but you just don’t get that pressed shine to the back of the furr you do with yl,tcn’s,rwm’s etc! I am getting there now with putting the crown together with yl’s but much prefer putting one together with the epics.

The shine comes from the share, boards have nothing much to do with it! You can prove this by moving the disk back and forward,. back, the share works harder, more downward pressure on it so more shine, forward, and the slice is already detached, so share can lift it easily. no shine.These photos are of work done with normal and

experimental shares, all that is changed is the cutting edge has been moved forward. Same field same plough and tractor.

 

[northoftheborder]

Well done yesterday Davie.

 

[wuddy]

The shine comes from the share, boards have nothing much to do with it! You can prove this by moving the disk back and forward,. back, the share works harder, more downward pressure on it so more shine, forward, and the slice is already detached, so share can lift it easily. no shine.These photos are of work done with normal and View attachment 740806 View attachment 740808 experimental shares, all that is changed is the cutting edge has been moved forward. Same field same plough and tractor.

I didn’t mean the top of the general work I meant on the backs of the furrs in the openings and finishes like this pic